Trade Directories

Trade Directories

There were several firms who published trade directories for business and Post Office use. These eventually developed into our modern telephone directories. Arranged by county, sometimes with more than one county to a volume, they gave a short description of the place, detail the basic services available, and then gave the names of the prominent private residents and the commercial businesses. Some businesses also took out an advert, which were usually separate at the rear of the book. Kellys Directory is the best known; the editions are sporadic, but seem to settle into every three to four years by the turn of the 19th century. Woburn Sands can sometimes be found under Wavendon in early editions, and once on its own, moves between either Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire. The earliest I have found is 1847 and the latest 1939. There were also some smaller firms operating too. Originals can be found in larger libraries and archives.

Please Note: Wherever possible, all names have been altered to “FIRSTNAME SURNAME” rather than “SURNAME, FIRSTNAME” to make searching the text easier.

The following Directory entries can be seen by clicking the links below: